Purpose, Policy, Procedure, and Assignments

Purpose: To prepare and write a critical analysis of an American short story, with
emphasis on the literary elements (theme, character, conflict, etc.) or literary techniques
(irony, flashback, point of view, etc.) used by the selected American author. This form of
analysis should be based primarily on the students own interpretations of the stories but
must also include support of multiple literary critics to strengthen the thesis of the paper.
An effective analysis synthesizes information from multiple sources into a thoughtful,
unified essay.
Upcoming Due Dates:

Author Selection Date:

December 9/10th
Selection will occur through a lottery
If absent on selection date, will have to choose from remaining titles
Two students may share an author but must work with different stories.

Short Story Analysis:

Monday, December 15th
Read short story and make thorough annotations, covering the entire text of
the story.

Policy Sign-Off: As the research paper/project is a requirement of the course, all

components must be completed. Failure to complete even one assignment related to
the research paper/project will result in a failing grade for the nine weeks marking period.
Also, the student will not receive credit for the course until all assignments are completed
as per the teachers specifications. In addition, students must avoid plagiarism or
cheating, which will result in a failing grade for the paper. Plagiarism includes using
others words or ideas without giving credit (appropriate citation). Cheating includes
working cooperatively on any part of the assignment (unless instructed by teacher) or
sharing research, outlines, drafts, note cards, bibliography cards, or final written copies
with any other student. The guidance counselor, parent, and principal will be notified of
incomplete work, plagiarism, or cheating infractions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Student Signature: ___________________________________

Date: ________
Failure on the part of the student to sign this form does not exempt him/her from the policy.
Student Printed Full Name: _______________________________________ Period: ____

Overview of Assignments
Part 1: Bibliography Cards - 20 pts.
In order to conduct research correctly, you must find and cite sources correctly. If you dont find
accurate, professional sources, then the rest of your project is weak. You must create at least 10
Bibliography cards (or find at least 10 sources). You may not use all of them in the end. Remember,
you cannot find literary criticism through a Google search.
Part 2: Preliminary Thesis- 10 points

What are you going to prove about your short story? It must be arguable. Follow the specific guidelines
on the preliminary thesis handout that you will receive.
Part 3: Notecards/Notesheets- 50 pts.
After you have your sources, its time to take meaningful, accurate, useful notes including quotes,
analysis, details, unique observations, and other points of view. Dont waste your time with meaningless
notes about plot or random facts that are not important. Make each of your 50 notes count. Feel free to
add more if needed.
Part 4: Final Outline-25 pts.
After you have found your sources, its time to organize, sort, and construct a framework for your final
essay. Determine which of your secondary sources best fit into each paragraph of your essay. Make sure
you have the appropriate number of secondary sources: the outline must have at least 5-6 sources (of
the original 10), contain at least three body paragraphs (perhaps more), and lead to a paper between
4-6 pages. The outline should contain both primary quotes (the short stories) and secondary citations
(research). A thesis statement should adorn the top of your outline as well. The final outline must be
typed and submitted on the due date.
Part 5: The Typed Draft25 points
Your typed draft of the paper must be typed in Google docs from the beginning. Do not begin your
draft in Microsoft Word and then upload the entire paper to Google Docs. Drafts that have been
uploaded will not be accepted; no exceptions. Begin the draft in Google Doc. Therefore, the draft will
eventually turn into the final paper once you make all your revisions.
Part 6: The Final Paper- 100 pts.
If you did the outline correctly, this should be simple. Write a paper focusing on some literary aspect of
your short story that is both arguable and supportable. Back up your thesis with ample textual support
and examples from the book and the research. Follow all MLA grammar and formatting rules. The
paper will be graded following the traditional paper rubric. A final Works Cited page must be included
at the end of your paper. Without a Works Cited page, your paper is considered plagiarism and will not
be accepted.